Lindt is a Swiss chocolate manufacturer that is famous for their foil-wrapped golden bunnies, their Lindor truffles and for generally producing some of the smoothest and finest chocolate in the world.
If you need some inspirational gift ideas or you just want to find out what this premium company has to offer, this HotUKDeals buyer's guide will provide the perfect introduction and will help you save money on chocolate at the same time.
Lindt (or “Lindt & Sprüngli AG”) is one of the world's greatest confectionery companies. The company started out in 1830s Zurich, Switzerland, when David Sprüngli-Schwarz and his son opened up a sweet shop in the Old Town. Realising that new techniques and rising demand were paving the way for a chocolate boom, the pair invested in a chocolate factory nearby, becoming one of the first outfits in the country to supply solid chocolate bars.
The 19th century saw the Sprüngli brand expand and also perfect its production processes, including the introduction of conching to smooth out the taste of their chocolates. In 1898, they paired up with Berne-based chocolate fondant manufacturer Rodolphe Lindt – and the modern brand was born.
The fondant made by Lindt and the smooth chocolate produced by Sprüngli was a winning and unique combination. It remains so to this day as few chocolatiers have emerged with techniques that better their production methods.
During the 20th century, Lindt spearheaded the rise of Swiss chocolates worldwide. Catering for tourists who were in Switzerland to recuperate, walk, ski or mountaineer, the company gained a global following. And they also continued to improve their recipes. For instance, Lindor was created in the 1950s, instantly gaining the nickname “sweet gold” due to its taste and adaptability. It revolutionised the way Lindt marketed their chocolates, opening the way to newer recipes and designs in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Today, Lindt runs factories in Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and New Hampshire in the United States as well as chocolate cafes in Australia and a number of Lindt Chocolate Shops in the UK. Their brand identity and prestige are undisputed, and they continue to create some of the world's most enticing, complex chocolates.
Lindt manufactures a combination of sweets, not just pure chocolate. The popularity and prestige of its brand are derived from a commitment to quality which other chocolatiers (at least global brands) can't match. Lindt claims to use a unique roasting process to liberate the flavour of their cacao before grinding those beans incredibly finely, creating a richer, smoother taste.
Since the 1870s, the company has also used a process it devised called conching to produce the finished product. In this method, layers of super-heated chocolate are mixed together, stirred for hours and aerated, taking all of the bitterness out of the chocolate and creating a sublime richness.
This refers mainly to Lindt's premium chocolates, but its truffles are just as important and make up most of the individual chocolates you'll find in Lindt gift boxes. What makes these different to ordinary chocolate?
While ordinary chocolate is really processed cocoa beans, truffles are different. Their smooth, sweet contents are formed from ganache – a kind of cream and chocolate mixture which has a very different taste and texture to chocolate bars, particularly when infused with other flavours like toffee, citrus or mint. Lindor is Lindt's most well-known line of truffles, while Excellence is their main pure-chocolate line.
Lindt offers a huge variety of different chocolate products, which come in a formidable array of flavours. Here are the company's most popular products:
Excellence – The company's premium chocolate brand, Excellence usually comes in slender rectangular cardboard packs and is wrapped in silver foil. You'll find it in the confectionery aisles of most supermarkets. It also comes as pick-and-mix sweets and is commonly used to prepare luxuriously sweet, decadent desserts. You'll find some recipe ideas on www.lindt.co.uk.
Lindor – A collection of products based on rich, smooth milk chocolate truffles, including chocolate balls, bars and pick-and-mix sweets.
HELLO – “Sinfully delicious” according to Lindt, HELLO features a range of chocolate boxes and bars with decadent fillings like caramel brownie and strawberry cheesecake. A little more calorific than Lindt's standard bars, these products are richer, more complex and full of variety.
Creation – Described as Lindt's “most indulgent” collection, Creation features complex flavours and textures that blend dark and milk chocolate. They always come as individual chocolates, whether that's in a box or pick-and-mix form.
The Master Chocolatier Collection – As the name suggests, this collection is inspired by Lindt's great chocolatiers: the best of the confectionery design world. Packaged in attractive boxes and carefully selected to create harmonious assemblages, these sets are some of the company's most popular and delicious gift products.
Gold bunnies – Possibly Lindt's most iconic product of all, their gold bunnies are everywhere come Easter, as parents rush to buy them for their kids. As Easter arrives, check out bunny sets with extra truffle eggs and stuffed toys, and pick anything from tiny bunnies to massive family sized creatures that will last for weeks.
Teddy bears – Another charming seasonal gift item, the Lindt Teddy Bear is ideal for Christmas stockings, birthdays and Easter, and it includes the same premium chocolate and foil wrapped exterior as the gold bunnies.
Cooking bars – If you love to bake, Lindt's cooking bars are just what you need. Featuring 70% cocoa (or more), these bars aren't designed for snacking. Instead, they are perfect for adding to chocolate cakes and brownies.
Treats on the go – Lindt also offers plenty of standard sized bars, with wafers, solid chocolate, truffles and nocciolatte varieties all available. Perfect for school lunch boxes.
Over the years, Lindt has massively expanded the range of flavours its chocolates and truffles come in; there's now a vast amount of choice for confectionery fans to check out. Here's a cross-section of the tastes that are on offer:
Lindor – The firm's flagship truffle range comes in flavours like caramel, raspberry, peanut butter, cookies & cream, vanilla, mint, citrus, coffee, almond and Irish cream as well as plain milk, white, dark and extra-dark chocolate.
HELLO – The imaginative sweets brand comes in flavours like coffee, berry, coconut, praline, nougat, caramel brownie, cookies & cream and strawberry cheesecake.
Excellence – Premium Lindt bars can be found in delicious variations like white and dark strawberry, wasabi, vanilla, sea-salt, cranberry, passion fruit, orange, chili, extra creamy, caramel sea salt, dark coconut, blackcurrant, sweet dark, roasted almond and almond brittle, mint, white coconut and classic toffee.
Hot Chocolate – Lindt's roots are in the hot chocolate craze of the 1840s, and they still produce some delectable hot chocolate products. Their hot chocolate comes in 125g boxes which contain sachets packed with 100% Lindt dark chocolate. All you need to do is to mix the sachet with 100ml or so of hot milk and give it a stir. The result is a hot chocolate drink that is out of this world.
As you can see, the choice is immense, and not everyone will adore each and every variety, so think about what you or the person you are buying for loves before you make a purchase.
Lindt's marketing is all about gift-giving, which isn't really that surprising for a sweets maker, but matching their products with specific occasions isn't so easy given the size of their range. Here are some handy pointers to get you started.
Easter – This one's easy. Lindt's teddy bears and gold bunnies are ideal for kids and adults alike, while their mini and not so mini eggs are perfect for the chocolate gift-giving season.
Father's Day – If Dad loves chocolate, try to tease out his favourite tastes and get together a custom-made pick-and-mix selection, or go for special seasonal ideas like Lindt's creative Golf Balls chocolate pack, which looks more or less like the real thing.
Halloween – If you need chocolates for the kids or some premium trick-or-treat items, Lindt is there for you. Try their Halloween themed boxes with Excellent and Lindor chocolates and everything should work out fine.
Christmas – First off, Lindt create some gorgeous chocolate advent calendars, so you might want to pick up a couple as December comes up. At Christmas itself, stuff your kids' stockings with Lindt bears, eggs, chocolate bars and pick-and-mix chocolates or go for one of their magical Father Christmas designs to set the big day off with smiles. You'll also find plenty of Christmas tree decorations.
Valentine's Day – the Year's other great chocolate-giving occasion, Valentine's Day demands something special – and Lindt delivers. The special heart-shaped boxes filled with Lindor, Swiss Luxury or Master Chocolatier chocolates will make anyone melt into your arms.
Mother's Day – Spoil Mum like you spoiled Dad with a custom-made chocolate collection filled with the tastes she loves.
We know that Lindt manufactures delightful gifts and irresistible chocolates, but where can you get hold of them cheaply? There are a number of options for UK chocolate buyers.
Supermarkets – Lindt's products are a common sight in supermarkets like Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons and Iceland, and these places are often the best retailers to check in with when you are hunting for Lindt deals.
Lindt Chocolate Shops – Lindt themselves run a network of shops around the world, including at UK locations like Wembley and Ashford. The Wembley site is actually a Factory Outlet, so it's often a fantastic place to buy cut-price chocolates, particularly just after major retail periods like Easter or Valentine's Day. Find your nearest Lindt shop with the Store Locator on their website.
eBay – Buying chocolates online may not come naturally, but it's a good way to buy cheaply and flexibly. Just search for Lindor, Excellent, gold bunnies or any other Lindt products and eBay will provide a wide range of sellers, with toggle buttons at the left to zero in on the items you want.
Lindt.co.uk – The World of Lindt is an online portal into the world of the company's master chocolatiers and also lets confectionery lovers place online orders. Just head to the Special Offers section of the Chocolate Shop and you'll see plenty of Lindt discounts. If you shop in bulk for upcoming gifts, you can also enjoy free delivery on orders over £40.
Lindt is far from the only Swiss chocolate manufacturer. When you search the HotUKDeals Swiss chocolate listings, you'll come across plenty of competitors, some of which come very close to replicating and bettering the taste and texture of Lindt's creations. Here are some of the most famous:
Cailler – Founded in 1819, Cailler now resides in the Nestlé corporate family. You'll probably recognise their logo which looks like it has been handwritten in a flamboyant script, and you may well have tried their hazelnut chocolate bars which are still absolutely delicious.
Toblerone – Toblerone needs no introduction for UK consumers. Owned by Mondelez International, Toblerone's triangular bars are a go-to item for Mother's Day and birthdays all over the UK, and with good reason: the mixture of smooth Swiss chocolate and nougat chunks is hard to resist.
Laderach – Famous for their pralines, Laderach is a smaller brand, but it's still easy to get hold its products in the UK. Based in the town of Glarus, the company's chocolate assortments are probably even more appetising than Lindt's own.
Swiss chocolate is one of the most luxurious confectionery products around. Smooth, rich, and available in an endless variety of flavours, brands like Lindt will never go out of fashion with their passionate UK customer base. But how can you buy discounted Lindt chocolate?
The best thing to do is to capitalise on chocolate sales. Lindt runs special offers on its website, but there are far more discounts every day of the year at the UK's major supermarkets. The best way to keep track of them is to bookmark the HotUKDeals Lindt listings, where discounts from retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Wilko and WHSmith are gathered together. Pick one that features your favourite Lindt brand and redeem it whenever you get the craving for sweetness.
If you want to save even more money, shopping at the right times of year is vital. Firstly, when Easter or Christmas is on the horizon, start checking for advent calendar or egg deals as quickly as you can. The best deals will appear a month or more before the events arrive, and prices rise steeply as they approach.
Secondly, hunt for premium chocolate deals after Christmas, Valentine's Day or Easter. That way, you can benefit from price drops to clear excess stock – it's a great way to keep your own chocolate stocks nice and high.
And, if you are in the south-east, it might be a good idea to visit the Lindt Outlet in Wembley, which always features cut-price Swiss delights.
The key takeaway is that there's no need to overspend. Save money on the finest chocolates by shopping smart.
Lindt is one of the world's iconic chocolate manufacturers, creating dazzling boxes and sets, chocolate eggs, bunnies, bars and much, much more. Whether you need a winning Valentine's gift or something for the kids at Easter, check out the HotUKDeals Lindt listings where brands like Lindor and their classic chocolate bunnies are available at rock-bottom prices.
